The calendar has flipped from 2017 to 2018, meaning the action on the hardwood is about to heat up.

Amazingly, one quarter of the regular season is already complete for most high school boys basketball teams. Conference play will soon begin, and the contenders should start to distance themselves from the pretenders.

But before we highlight some games you should go see, let’s recap some of the best individual performances and most intriguing storylines from the season’s first few weeks.

WHAT WE’VE LEARNED

1 SO FAR, SO GOOD: Notre Dame-Fairfield looks as good as advertised. The defending SWC champions are sitting at No. 4 in GameTimeCT/Register poll after winning the Fairfield Prep Holiday Classic. Tyler Bourne, Nori Davis and Josh Reaves make up an awfully potent 1-2-3 punch.

2 BACK ON TRACK: Kolbe Cathedral appears destined to end its postseason drought. The Cougars are 4-1 under John Pfohl, who is back at the school with which he won state championships in 1999 and 2004. They were just 9-51 in the three seasons prior to his return and have not made the playoffs since 2014.

3 CLOSE TO PERFECT: Sixth-ranked Bassick met its match after a 4-0 start, losing on the road to the state’s top-ranked team, East Catholic, 78-42. The Lions shouldn’t overreact to that lopsided result. Beating Bunnell and Ridgefield away from home was impressive. As long as Qualon Wilkes and Jordan and Jaelin Gallimore are on the court, they’ll be fine.

4 HEAVYWEIGHTS COLLIDE: Everyone knew the CIAC’s new five-division playoff format would be top heavy. Division I has 21 teams, including three of the four state champions from last year: Hillhouse, Sacred Heart of Waterbury and Trinity Catholic. Unremarkably, nine of the 10 teams in the latest state poll are in Division I. The only team that’s not is ninth-ranked Waterford, which finds itself in Division III.

5 ANYONE’S GUESS: Is there a clear team to beat in the FCIAC? Danbury climbed into the Top 10 after a non-conference win against New London that improved its record to 4-0. Everyone else in the conference has at least one loss. Defending champion Ridgefield is worth watching, along with Wilton and Trinity Catholic. Also, don’t sleep on Warde (2-2), which boasts one of the best scorers in the state in Sean Conway.

STARS OF THE SHOW

Sean Conway, Warde, G: The senior dropped 40 points on Fairfield Prep on Dec. 27, albeit in an 87-86 loss. In the two games prior, he scored 34 points against Hamden and 35 against Norwalk.

Maximus Edwards, Bunnell, G: The swingman has shown no signs of a sophomore slump, averaging 26 points through four games. He finished with a triple-double (14 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists) in a 69-50 victory over Masuk on Dec. 29.

Josh Reaves, Notre Dame-Fairfield, F: The junior rose to the occasion in the finals of the Fairfield Prep Holiday Classic, scoring 30 points in a 68-63 victory over Prep. He was named Tournament MVP.

Tyler Thomas, Amity, G: The early favorite for SCC Player of the Year entered Tuesday averaging 28.3 points per game. He had 25 points, 10 assists and six rebounds in a 78-51 win over West Haven on Dec. 27.

GAMES TO WATCH

Kolbe Cathedral at Bunnell, Jan. 3, 7 p.m.: The Cougars might want to put two defenders on Edwards at all times.

Notre Dame-Fairfield vs. Xaverian-Brooklyn (N.Y.), Jan. 15, 3 p.m., Webster Bank Arena, Bridgeport: The third of four games in the fourth-annual MLK Classic will be a litmus test for the Lancers. Central-Ludlowe, Harding-Career and Wilbur Cross-Bassick will make up the rest of the slate.

Bassick at Harding, Jan. 23, 7 p.m.: A city rivalry is renewed — this time with John Bagley. The former Presidents standout and NBA guard has his alma mater off to a respectable 3-2 start.

Notre Dame-West Haven at Wilbur Cross, Jan. 24, 7 p.m.: There doesn’t seem to be as much buzz following the Green Knights as there was a year ago, when Tremont Waters and Co. were the talk of the state. But these Green Knights — ranked 10th in the state with a 4-1 record entering Tuesday — are just as dangerous.

Trinity Catholic at Warde, Feb. 1, 7 p.m.: Few would be surprised if this was an FCIAC playoff preview.